Butter Baby, the self-proclaimed “first Butterlandian dessert brand,” has landed in the city’s Blok M district, complete with a shop and identity that feels more like a portal than a patisserie.
The project comes from Universal Favourite, the Sydney-based design studio behind some of the world’s most imaginative brand identities. The team worked across strategy, character design, tone of voice, packaging and world-building to create an immersive brand experience that transports customers straight to Butterlandia, a fictional planet overflowing with butter, charm and cosmic desserts.
“At the heart of it all is Butter Baby – a butter-loving alien explorer who crash-landed on Earth and decided to share his homeworld’s treats with humans, or ‘humblubs’,” the team explains. “Somewhere between strategy and sci-fi, we built an entire brand universe around him.”
The studio expanded on the client’s original idea to build a complete mythos: a cast of characters, deep lore, and even a Butterlandian language that turns every detail – from signage to packaging – into part of the story. “It means the brand is never tied to a single look or line,” they say. “Instead, it has an endless pantry of stories to draw from.”
Butter Baby himself is both chef and mascot, defined by his butter whip, starburnt cheeks and infectious grin. Universal Favourite’s design captures that playful spirit through rounded 3D forms, bright colours and layered textures that feel both familiar and fantastical.
The brand’s core palette blends a sunny butter yellow with cosmic blue, soft milk and grounding space grey, accented by silver foil for a premium yet interstellar finish: Typefaces Ozik and Söhne balance expression and clarity — one playful, the other precise.
To extend the brand beyond visuals, Universal Favourite collaborated with Crosby Studios on Butter Baby’s first physical space in Jakarta. Inside, curved doorways inspired by butter palaces and a floating cookie carousel immerse visitors in the narrative. There’s even a living room where Butter Baby is said to nap between baking sessions.
Packaging continues the story with hidden greetings and whimsical details. Handles shaped like butter whips make boxes fun to carry, while each dessert comes with its own cosmic backstory, from cold brew brewed in Coffee World to sugar mined from the Great Sugar Cluster.
Universal Favourite sees Butter Baby as a great example of how imaginative storytelling can turn a niche F&B concept into a scalable brand IP. Designed for global expansion and multi-platform engagement, the identity extends naturally into merchandise, collaborations and digital content.
By blending character design, copywriting and visual craft, Universal Favourite has essentially built a whole new universe, taking the phrase ‘brand world’ to the next level.
